Daiji-Chhela industrial zone haste in foundation laying, neglect in construction

Dhangadhi: The then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli laid the foundation stone of Kanchanpur's Daiji-Chhela Industrial Zone in 2077 BS. Two years have passed since then, but even the basic infrastructure has not been built at the place where the foundation stone was laid. Even though trees are being felled for the construction of the industrial area, the Daiji-Chhela industrial area has not been able to get the right of occupancy of the land.

Acting General Manager of Industrial Area Management Limited (IDM) Sanjay Lal Manandhar said that the ownership of the land has not been transferred in the name of the industrial area. Although there is a working environment in Daiji, the infrastructure construction work has not progressed. The call for contracts for the construction of infrastructure in the industrial sector has not yet been finalized.

Although it is estimated that when the foundation stone of a new industrial zone is laid for the first time in the Far West, an industrial environment will be created and the need to purchase large investment land for doing business will be removed, but the construction of infrastructure has not yet started. The then Prime Minister Oli laid the foundation stone of Daiji-Chhela Industrial Zone on Falgun 10th of that year.

IDM had planned to bring all industrial areas into operation within 5 years of the foundation stone. However, two years have been stuck in procedural preparation and forest management. IDM officials say that unless there is cooperation and support from political parties and local levels, the Industrial Area Management Limited alone cannot help in building infrastructure and establishing industries in these areas.

"IDM alone cannot solve the problems seen in the new industrial sector," he said, "Not only announcements and foundation-laying, but also initiative and support from the government and political parties/local level parties are needed." Although the budget has been allocated, the work has not progressed except for tree planting.

The main issue is that the private sector here is not confident that the construction will proceed until the land is owned in the name of the industrial sector. In 2052 BS, when Manmohan Adhikari became the Prime Minister, although a proposal was made for the construction of an industrial area, the physical construction work could not proceed. It was mentioned that the industrial area will be built within five years at a cost of Rs. 9 Arba.

Although Bedkot municipality has provided 900 bigha land for industrial area, physical structure will be built on 400 bigha land. According to the DPR of the industrial sector, 117 small, medium and large industries will be established in 124 plots, from which more than 30,000 people will get employment.

The high-level team of the Industrial Area Management Ltd. conducted two monitoring and submitted an opinion to the Ministry in the year 2052 BS and 2066 BS, considering it appropriate to build an industrial area in Chela of Bedkot. It was mentioned in the proposal at that time that 300 small, medium and large industries could be operated on 293 bighas land. Then, in the budget of the financial year 2071/72 BS, the work of the study was done after the work of establishing an industrial zone was given high priority for the development of the Far West region.